SHOWSTOPPER PROMOTIONS next year will keep a huge marquee disco running for three months right through the summer season at St Tropez after their return ten day jazz-funk special has finished . . . Southgate Royalty meanwhile is packing ’em in six nights a week in its new guise of the Pink Elephant Fun House, with two separate discos, lotsa fun and sideshows, dirt cheap admission . . . Canvey Island’s legendary Goldmine celebrates its tenth anniversary all this month with a different musical theme each Saturday, this week’s finding Chris Hill and Jeff Young reviving ten years of jazz (including Chris’s “swing thing”) . . . Chris Hill, if he and Carol have been to the movies recently, is doubtless saying “MISTER Porky, to you!” . . . Capital Radio’s bright young blood, Gary Crowley starts a weekly Saturday lunchtime shindig this week (7) at London’s Charing Cross Road Busbys, 11.30am-2.30pm, soft drinks only, aided by ‘Motorway Mick’ Brown and PA’s by Buzz and Wham . . . ‘Reggae On It’ is indeed by Freddie McGregor and will be out here on Erskine Thompson’s new Intense label segued out of ‘Follow This Ya Sound’ as a 3-track 12in flipped by the ‘Big Ship’ remix . . . Narada Michael Walden’s US 12in of ‘Summer Lady’ is a new improved remix and will be out here imminently . . . ‘Chanson D’Llegance‘ in an 11½ minute remix is on the new Disconet . . . Sharon Redd’s ‘Can You Handle It’ in probably the KISS remix version (although it seems slower at c.109bpm) is on US Prelude 12in (PRD-1005) flipped by Muslque ’82 ‘Keep On Jumpin’ (remixed) and ‘In The Bush’ (one version or another), both c.132bpm . . . Holland’s enterprising Rams Horn label is sadly reported to be going broke, which will dry up a strong source of remixes . . . Soul Sonic Force may soon come here on Polydor-distributed 21 Records, Fatback ‘She’s My Shining Star’ is evidently now on UK 12in, Zapp ‘Dance Floor is due too . . . MCA are re-releasing the Crusaders ‘Street Life’ on 12in (MCAT 513), Motown revive Smokey Robinson’s 1979 US smash ‘Cruisin’ . . . Patrick Boothe had a close encounter with a paint sprayer, or is his new hairstyle the “badger” look?! . . . ‘School’s Out’, huh, David and Ji? . . . KEEP IT TIGHT!

Laura ‘n’ Order

LAURA BRANIGAN is shooting up the gay charts in the States and now here with her version of Umberto Tozzi’s storming Euro-hit of 1979 (covered by Jonathan King), the Donna Summer-ish driving 130½bpm ‘Gloria‘ (US Atlantic DM 4835) which is already getting so much pop radio play in Britain that the import 12in has been joined by a UK 7in (K 11759). Born and bread in Brewater, a small upstate New York town, Laura moved to New York City for a drama school course before singing behind Leonard Cohen on his 1977 European tour as part of The Army.

Level Crossing

I LEVEL, whose now released ‘Give Me‘ debut on Virgin has got everyone talking, are Duncan Bridgeman, Sam Jones and Joe Dworniak. Lead vocalist Sam, who used to sing with reggae group Brimstone, wrote the record while Duncan and Joe are co-owners of the Moody demo studios which they financed from past involvements, Duncan with Shake Shake and bassist Joe with BEF. Both have backed John Foxx. This variety of backgrounds is obvious in their work now, giving ‘Give Me’ a very strong wide appeal and freshness of approach which should make it a monster crossover hit.

UK NEWIES

ARETHA FRANKLIN: ‘Jump To It’ (Arista ARIST 12479).
Luther Vandross-produced/co-penned feminist angering (0-)119-120-120½bpm 12in bumper starts with some skippable acappella wailing and a bit of talking before the beat bubbles up and Lady Soul gets down to moaning and searing her way through the supporting chix with some incredible soaring “shabadoodledaweeda” scatting that’ll make your neck hairs bristle!

DUNN & BRUCE STREET: ‘Shout For Joy’ (Satril 12SAT 5OO).
With a name play on Dun & Bradstreet, the guys chuckle in Terry Wogan style and tell us to “have a good time” as this quietly infectious languidly smacking 111(start)-113bpm 12in bumper winds along to an effective gap in the backing rhythm towards the end. An immediate monster for those few jocks initially on it, it’s been surprisingly slow to spread considering how good it is (especially with Howard Johnson, and try A Taste of Honey out of it).

TEDDY PENDERGRASS: ‘Now Tell Me That You Love Me’ (LP ‘This One’s For You’ Philadelphia PIR 85937).
Gamble & Huff-prod/penned absolutely gorgeous familiar 37bpm smoocher with a Dexter Wansel-arranged catchy little twiddle in the backing (did he sing this at Hammersmith?), while other nice slowies on a typical set are the Ashford & Simpson-prod/penned 37-75bpm ‘Only To You‘ and synthetically burbling steadily rolling 0-98-101bpm ‘I Can’t Win For Losing‘. If he had a funny way of walking before his accident, what’ll it be like now?

ORCHESTRA MAKASSY: ‘Mambo Bado’ (Virgin VS 526-12).
East African jump up music for a change, this frantic and accessible Kenyan 131-132bpm 12in rattling leaper has ethnic chanting, good brass, and evidently the first ever recording in the area on stereo multi-track equipment!

RICHARD JON SMITH: ‘Don’t Go Walkin’ Out That Door’ (Jive JIVE T 19).
Due commercially next week, this otherwise excellent John Kongos-produced chugging 113bpm 12in smacker suffers from a lead vocal that’s a bit too buried to cut through strongly out on the floor, but the following rhythm, backing chix and fashionable pent-up feel all sound good, and there’s an instrumental faster 115bpm ‘Keep On Walkin’ Out That Door’ flip.

STARPOINT: ‘Bring Your Sweet Lovin’ Back’ (Casablanca CANX 1013).
Rapidly rushed here as its the the best cut on their import LP, this Chaka Khan-ish chick wailed jittery tapping and clapping 109-108-109bpm 12in swayer has some nice little licks and works well with Stephanie Mills but is unlikely to mean much outside strictly soul circles. Flipped by the Shalamar-ish 111 bpm ‘I Want You Closer‘.

RAH BAND: ‘Tears And Rain’ (KR KRT 10).
A fast seller on red label “pre” but yet to get much dance reaction, the sweet chix-sung 3-track 12in plug side is now this attractively tuneful swaying 0-118bpm shuffler with appealingly pitched vocal sound and tinkling “rain” intro. Flipped by the slow moody starting then vocodered and cooed 0-117bpm ‘Hungry For Your Jungle Love‘ (hang on — it now says ‘Hunger’) and jiggly 0-117bpm ‘Party Games‘.

AVERAGE WHITE BAND: ‘You’re My Number One’ (RCA RCAT 250).
Well made jittery 108-109bpm 12in judderer much played by middle aged radio DJs, who feel safe with the bland blue-eyed soul of these BOF’s yet run a mile from anything that’s black, real and relevant — which is enough reason for anyone’s violent prejudice!

NICK STRAKER BAND: ‘Way Of Life’ (Firebird FLAME 3-12, via Pinnacle).
Reminding us he started out in Matumbi before his Eurodisco success, this easily jogging 118bpm 12in reggae flavoured swayer is flipped by the jazzily tuneful slow 94bpm ‘Airwaves‘ instrumental.

RUDDY THOMAS: ‘Just One Moment Away’ (Creole CR 12-27).
Out again now long after its original success, this beautiful cool slinky subtle slow 74bpm 12in lovers rock swayer is still worth hearing.

IMPORTS

GRAND MASTER FLASH AND THE FURIOUS FIVE: ‘The Message’ (US Sugarhill SH-584).
Already praised in brief, this superior 100bpm 12in rapper is now shaping up as a monster thanks to its gritty reality rooted “message” delivered in a mixture of natural speaking voice and beat biting rap with a sound effect ‘Living For The City’-like street bust as the climax to the mesmerizing simple repetitive rhythm riff.

JERMAINE JACKSON: ‘Running’ (LP ‘Let Me Tickle Your Fancy’ US Motown 6017ML).
In a very Hollywood sleeve, this simple jittery 115bpm smacker may be derivative but works well and has an “on your marks, get set, GO!” bit out of which Diana Ross ‘Work Your Body’ chops sensationally (at the “reach two three four” start), ‘Uh Uh I Didn’t Do It‘ being a Prince-inflected 108bpm funk bumper, ‘This Time‘ a Stevie Wonder-ish 115bpm jolter, ‘Very Special Part‘ a jiggly 116bpm strutter, while the sweetly swaying Syreeta-duetted 101bpm ‘You Belong To Me‘ is best of the slowies.

VILLAGE PEOPLE: ‘Fox On The Box’ (Canadian Able ABT-37).
Can’t Stop Prods must be having difficulty in placing the, er, Village People to turn up on this Canadian label with a new Jacques Morali-produced butchly hollered but subdued (for them) solid c.115bpm 12in smacker, more funk than gay and with hetero lyrics.

NEW YORK EXPRESS: ‘Hot On The Clue’ LP (US Cherie CR 19364).
Slinkily monotonous white male disco band won’t probably mean much here although they should sound good (as obviously intended) over New York’s urban contemporary airwaves, with such as the 110bpm title track 124bpm ‘A-Bomb Calling‘ (a change from Avon), 118½bpm ‘Show Me Your Good Side‘ (that’s your funky back side!).

DAVE FAWKNER, expatriate Manchester jock, says “I’ve joined the army of English jocks in Norway who have opted out for better pay and conditions — average pay for a jock out here is over £1000 a month after all deductions. The punters think nothing of waiting an hour before the club opens, paying £4 to get in and then £2.75 for a pint of lager.” (With lager at £2.75 a pint, no wonder DJs get paid so much!) “Of course the music scene is totally different from the UK,” adds Dave, whose current floor fillers at Diskotek Le-Ni in Tonsberg are these . . .

So Grandmaster Flash & “The Message” is reviewed this week. Interesting to note James’ pointed comments about the preference of radio jocks for “safe” “white” product! So much great artists & music really struggled to find a place on UK daytime radio throughout the 60s 70s & 80s. Similarly the UK Musicians Union had a stranglehold on how many visiting foreign acts could appear on UK TV- yup they had a quota! Difficult for youngsters to understand just how far our access to music was censored back in the day. A cultural reference to “Porky’s” which we all thought was hilarious at the time.. A cringeworthy reference to Teddy Pendergrass horrific life changing car crash with just more than a hint of a homophobic dig. How things have changed! Motown records “last hurrah” as a consistent hit making force is in full flow as Aretha’s comeback gathers steam. Jazz Funk is THE thing and UK black acts really have now become a credible force and regular mainstream hitmakers.